Keyless entry systems for vehicles have become nearly ubiquitous in the automotive realm. In a conventional keyless entry system, a user carries a keyfob having a button that enables the user to initiate a vehicle operation, such as starting the vehicle or mobilizing the vehicle. In response to user activation of the button, the keyfob communicates instructions to the vehicle to initiate the vehicle operation. In one conventional configuration, the vehicle may include a series of RF antennas that allow the vehicle to determine whether the keyfob is present within the vehicle. Because the keyfob in these conventional configurations is carried by the user and serves a singular purpose—operation in conjunction with a keyless entry system—the keyfob is configured to be a simplistic device having limited capabilities. More advanced operations and processing may be performed by the vehicle, rather than the keyfob, so that cost and size of the keyfob may be kept down.
One exemplary operation performed by a conventional keyless entry system is detection inside the vehicle. In keyless entry systems configured to allow mobilization of a vehicle, detection inside the vehicle is often times a concern because there are several scenarios where the driver and the keyfob may be outside the vehicle, but in general proximity thereto. For example, while the driver is refueling the vehicle at a service station, if the vehicle were to be mobilized, a thief, or a young child, may climb into the driver's seat and attempt to drive the vehicle without permission. For at least this reason, conventional keyfob-based vehicle entry systems, in some cases, have utilized a series of RF antennas in the vehicle, so that the vehicle, itself may detect the presence of the keyfob in the vehicle or inside the vehicle cabin, and prevent mobilization, unless the vehicle detects that the keyfob is located in the vehicle.
Portable devices, such as smartphones, as well as smartphone applications (or programs running on the portable devices), have also become nearly ubiquitous. In recent times, there has been some interest in utilizing these portable devices to instruct a vehicle to perform an operation. However, unlike the conventional keyfob, smartphones in use today often times are not specifically configured to communicate with a keyless entry system. Not every smartphone is used in conjunction with a vehicle, so smartphone manufacturers are reluctant to incorporate a keyfob antenna and communication interface into the smartphone, avoiding or reducing unnecessary cost.
For at least these reasons, conventional smartphone applications in the context of vehicle control utilize communication interfaces already present in the device and the vehicle, including, for example, cellular, GPS, and Bluetooth interfaces. These conventional systems, however, are not without downsides. The vehicle, smartphone, and cellular, GPS, or Bluetooth interfaces in the conventional system are not configured to detect presence or location of the smartphone relative to the vehicle, such as presence inside the vehicle. As a result, actual mobilization via the smartphone is not realized.